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Since its premiere in 1997, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has established itself as a perennial favorite both to a core of die-hard Whedonites and to a broader mainstream audience. The show wrapped in 2003 after seven seasons on television but returned for an eighth in 2007, this time as a comic series from Dark Horse. The series was so popular that the initial 25-issue run was expanded out to 40. In 2011 the series returned for Season Nine wrapping at the end of last year, and this week the tenth season has begun.

The beginning of a new season is a great jumping on point for anyone interested in joining the Buffy-verse for the first time, or for those returning after an absence. However with nine seasons of backstory there’s now a lot of history to get through. All seven seasons of the TV show are currently available on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video but that’s a whole lot to sit through even for those with a lot of spare time, and that’s before you get to the comics. So for those of you interested in diving headlong into the show again, here’s a (mostly) spoiler-free recap of the road so far.

Season One
After being expelled from school, 16-year-old Buffy Summers and her mother move to Sunnydale, California, in the hopes of starting afresh. Secretly Buffy hopes to leave behind her life as a vampire slayer but life isn’t that simple and within her first day at Sunnydale High the supernatural is already closing in on her. Soon she teams up with fellow students Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris who, along with Watcher/school librarian Rupert Giles, form the Scoobies – a team who will go on to fight evil in countless forms over the coming years.

Season Two
The relationships established in season one increase in complexity during the show’s second outing. Xander hooks up with school top dog Cordelia and Willow with Oz, a guitar player with a canine secret of his own. Even Giles gets in on the action by establishing a relationship with computer science teacher Jenny. However these relationships and the issues they encounter pale in comparison to Buffy’s own relationship with Angel which will irrevocably affect everyone around them.

Season Three
Buffy returns to Sunnydale after unsuccessfully attempting to start a new life in LA and she’s not the only person arriving in town. The Watcher’s council send in Wesley Price to replace Giles, fearing that he has become too emotionally attached to Buffy, and a second slayer named Faith also arrives. Throughout the season, which marks Buffy’s final year of high school, the Scoobies work against the town Mayor who is planning to make their graduation more memorable than any before and for all the wrong reasons.

Season Four
Buffy and Willow enroll at the University of California: Sunnydale where each begins a new romantic relationship; Buffy with graduate student Riley and Willow with Tara—a witch like herself. The vampire Spike returns but soon finds himself at the mercy of The Initiative, a secret military organization based beneath the campus but with many links above ground. Eventually Spike teams up with the Scoobies and together they fight against the latest monster to be unleashed on the unsuspecting town.

Season Five
We are shocked to be introduced to Buffy’s younger sister Dawn, and even more surprised when every character acts as if they have known her from the beginning. Buffy meets the season’s key “Big Bad”, an exiled Hell God named Glory who is looking for her way back downstairs through the use of a key which will open the door between Hell and Earth. As the season progresses Buffy’s family life is shattered, and when Glory kidnaps Dawn she has to decide whether or not to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Season Six
A contender for the show’s darkest era, not one character escapes from season six unscathed. Buffy falls into a deep depression and begins a mutually abusive relationship with the one person you would never expect. Concerned about her reliance on him, Giles leaves for England, and Xander’s forthcoming wedding is ruined by a last minute decision. Even Dawn begins suffering from kleptomania and Willow’s addiction to magic continues to grow. When a fight between Buffy and season Big Bad Warren Mears results in an accidental death, Willow’s powers turn dark forcing the Scoobies to fight against her.

Season Seven
The final television season introduces the First Evil, an incorporeal power that is killing off all potential slayers and raising an army of ancient vampires. Giles gathers a number of potentials who seek refuge at Buffy’s house as the First Evil and the preacher Caleb work against them and cause activity around the Hellmouth to increase. Soon most of the population of Sunnydale has fled. Several characters return for the finale with Willow activating all potential slayers for an almighty showdown. Not everyone makes it out and the town of Sunnydale is destroyed completely but the show ends on a positive note regardless.

Season Eight
One year after the destruction of Sunnydale, Buffy and the Scoobies have set up a military-like approach to slaying. Now based in Scotland the Scoobies organize over 500 slayers in squads around the world, however they are seen by the US government as international terrorists and many groups are actively working against them. Soon a new pro-vampire world order is established and the groups are forced into hiding as relationships between them grow more complex. When the true identity of the season’s Big Bad—Twilight—is revealed, things become even more intense. After the death of someone close, a distraught Buffy destroys a powerful artifact which subsequently removes all magic from the universe and leaves Buffy as a pariah.

Season Nine
Buffy and most of her friends are now living in San Francisco. Buffy works in a traditional slayer role as Willow departs on a quest to restore magic and a new team slowly begin to come together. Because magic is now gone from the world Dawn begins to fade from existence, devastating Xander who has now formed a relationship with her. He is approached by the demon Severin who wants to restore magic and the two begin secretly trading information. Buffy and the Scoobies travel to the Cotswolds in an attempt to save Dawn, eventually facing off against Severin. Magic is restored and the season ends with the revelation of an entirely new form of vampire, however Watcher’s Council is destroyed and the pages of their primary research book now blank.

The Buffy-verse is one of the most complex out there and this recap only begins to scratch at its surface. Alongside the primary Buffy TV series there was the Angel spin-off which itself has transitioned into multiple comic series—Angel at IDW and the more recent Angel and Faith through Dark Horse. Dark Horse also produced a 63 issue run that ran alongside Buffy on television prior to Season Eight. Joss Whedon produced the Fray mini-series about a future slayer, and of course there are dozens of novels and collected short stories—not to mention the original 1992 film. For anyone entering the fandom, the sheer volume of material can be a little overwhelming.

I hope that this recap gives you a taste of the series and allows you to step into this brilliant world. I’m reading to dive back in and so we say, “Once More with Feeling!”

Both of the sets have been given HBO Global Licensing’s blessing and both have some incarnation of a few of the same characters.

Funko already has a slew of Game of Thrones dolls—the kind that I could definitely build a nursery around. Now, the company is getting ready to release its first Legacy Collection, a set of action figures with at least 20 points of articulation and plenty of removable accessories for each.

At launch, the lineup will include Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Sandor “The Hound” Clegane, Tyrion Lannister, Ned Stark, and White Walker. The Legacy Collection will be a Barnes & Noble exclusive starting February 18, with the set getting a wider release on March 4. Additional figures will then follow sometime this fall.

If you’re willing to wait, you may want to mark your calendar for Dark Horse’s latest GOT release. This line is non-articulated, with each figure measuring about 7.5 inches tall.

The company had previously released figures for Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, with Tyrion Lannister, Khal Drogo, and Ned Stark all coming in time for Season 4’s April premiere. The newest announcement is that Cersei Baratheon, Arya Stark, Robb Stark, Jaime Lannister, and White Walker will join the collection in July, with five more coming sometime in November 2014. That lineup has yet to be announced.

Dark Horse has already made some figures that any GOT fan would be proud to put on display. However, I’m partial to moving parts and add-ons. Choose your favorite weapon (and character), but know that Funko has priced the Legacy Collection at $19.95 each, with Dark Horse coming in at $24.99.

Into the Void: Dawn of the Jedi is the latest Star Wars novel by Tim Lebbon and published by Del Ray, a trademark of Random House Publishing. This is only my second Star Wars novel experience and it was very enjoyable to say the least. According to the chart at the front of the book, this title happens Before the Republic, 25,793 years before Star Wars: A New Hope.

In this time period, the Jedi are called Je’daii. There are Je’daii Rangers (not knights) and they are permitted to have families. There is also no mention of lightsabers or other technology.

The lead character is a female Je’daii by the name of Lanoree Brock. A Je’daii Ranger who patrols the galaxy alone in her Peacemaker starship.

While away on patrol, Lanoree is called back to her home planet (and home of all Je’daii and the force) Tython. The Masters have news that Lanoree takes as both alarming and hopeful. Her brother, Dalien Brock, assumed dead as a child, has been found alive and is causing trouble that could destroy the star system. The Masters task Lanoree with finding and stopping her brother at all costs.

Happy Halloween and New Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week.

Dakster Sullivan – Avengers vs. X-Men: Consequences

The past two weeks have been torture for me since all of my local comic book stores have been sold out of Avengers vs. X-Men: Consequences. One store told me the popularity of it just came out of nowhere for them. Thanks to a friend at Marvel, I was able to read them digitally this week and get my AVX fix.

AVX: Consequences is a mini series that shows us what happened after the war between the Avengers and the X-Men was over and the repercussions that came from it.

Thanks to Hope, Scarlet Witch, and the Phoenix, the mutant population has started to flourish again and the world is coming to grips with the new influx of mutants popping up. For the most part, everyone is free to go back to the normal lives they lived before the war and others are helping to search for the rest of extermination team (lead by Cyclops).

Hope is trying to figure out where she belongs and just wants to try to be normal for a while. Cyclops is in a high security prison that couldn’t care less if he wakes up breathing. He appears to lack guilt for the deaths he caused and his only desire at the moment is to become a martyr for the mutant cause, a desire Wolverine is sorely tempted to fill.

After reading issues #1 and #2, I hate to say I’m starting to have some sympathy pains for Cyclops. I don’t believe what he did was right, but I also don’t think he should be receiving the torturous care he is getting in the prison. It will be interesting to see how he gets out and what his life will be like once he does. I can imagine his relationships with some of his former teammates is not going to be as great as what he might hope it to be.

I would love to see an issue focus on the school a little and what the students went through while the war was going on. I’m also curious to see what will happen to Hope now that she is free to live her own life for the first time.

Happy Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week.

Dakster Sullivan – Ame-Comi Girls Issue #7

Ame-Comi Girls (written by Jimmy Palmiottie, Justin Grey, and art by Santi Casas) is in a universe of its own. Last week’s issue was heartbreaking with Batgirl and Robin’s parents discovering their identities (thank you Powergirl…) and a teaser look into the Guardians of the Universe as they chose the first Green Lantern for Earth’s sector. This issue focused entirely on the origins of the new lantern.

Blinded at the age of twelve in an accident that killed her mother, Jade Yifei is an adventurous young woman from China. Her father a cop and her brother an expert climber, Jade’s goal was to climb Mt. Everest one day.

When an enemy of her father’s comes to give him a message, Jade is sent falling to her death. The green lantern ring arrives in the nick of time to save her life and aid her in kicking some serious tail. The Green Lantern oath changed quite a bit, but I think it fits our new heroine.

A couple of things caught my attention about this issue. The first is that Jade is a real hero not just because she wears a green lantern ring, but also because she is a young woman who is blind does not let that stop her from going after her goals and living her life. The second is that she’s from China. Most (if not all) the green lanterns from Earth in the past have all come from the United States.

I’ve argued that this series has some great role models in it for girls and, in my opinion, Jade is a wonderful example of why. This series centers on strong women who don’t need some muscle bound male to save them. They save themselves and kick tail while doing it.

Captain Marvel at New York Comic Con In reality, Judy Stephens, the social media manager for Marvel.com at the Women of Marvel panel. She said it took over 20 hours to sew this costume. Photo by Corrina Lawson

Happy Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week.

Corrina

I admit, I spent more on comic art than on actual comics last weekend at New York Comic Con. I am still kicking myself for not grabbing the half-price box set still shrink-wrapped hardcover special edition of Crisis on Infinite Earths. At $75, it was out of my budget even half-price.

However, I did grab a few comics, namely three issues of The Gathering anthology from my friends at Greyhaven Comics: iWestern, all-ages, and a love letter to the Silver Age of Superheroes.

The kids’ stories were cute, especially one with kids plotting to outwit schoolyard bullies to the swings, and if you grew up reading superheroes like me, the Silver Age issue will make you smile.

But it was the western tales that I loved the most. I’d forgotten how much I loved westerns in comic form and this issue was filled with great ones. I’m hoping Greyhaven does another collection.

Dakster Sullivan – Robyn Hood #1

Robyn Hood Issue #1 Image: Zenescope

I picked up Robyn Hood #1 (Zenescope) quite frankly because the title interested me. A little voice in my head told me not to purchase it and look for something else, but I decided to ignore it and read it anyway. I’m sorry to say I should have listened to that little voice. The story starts out with magical forces and eventually hardship for the main heroine. She appears to lack fear when it comes to doing what she wants and helping those she loves.

Meanwhile, in her home land, the people are suffering and desperately need a hero to rescue them. A sorceress agrees to help them and tells one of the villagers that their hero is not yet mature enough to handle what awaits her. She holds off on bringing her back home and waits for her grow up a little.

Happy Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week as well give you some of the latest in comic book news.

Dakster Sullivan –Avengers vs. X-Men Round 12

The conclusion to Avengers vs. X-Men mini-series (writer: Jason Aaron, pencils: Adam Kubert, inks:John Dell, Adam Kubert, Mark Morales) has finally arrived and I don’t think I could have hoped for more from this final issue. The writers did a great job going back and explaining a few things that were left out in other rounds and the artists did an amazing job showing the details of the final fight between two of the biggest teams in the Marvel universe.

This is the first mini-series I’ve read and it has me wanting more of both teams.

A few of the characters surprised me in this issue, but none more than Tony Stark with his discovery of faith. Tony has been about science and facts since the beginning (even going as far as creating a computer to use Wanda’s mind and powers to search out every possible ending to the final battle), but it appears his stay at K’un L’un has changed him. He now believes that Hope and Scarlet Witch are like Yin and Yang and when the final battle comes, together they will balance each other out and together, defeat the Phoenix force.

He was right.

In short…the Avengers won, thanks to Nova showing up to bring Cyclops back down to Earth and Hope and the Scarlet Witch hitting him with everything they had. I was happy to see that even with all the fire and fighting going on around the characters, the creative team found time in a couple of panels for a touching moment between Jean Grey’s spirit and Cyclops.

After Cyclops was beaten, the Phoenix power finally took over Hope and with the help of Scarlet Witch, realized her true destiny in regards to the Phoenix force. The moments that Scarlet and Hope share after Hope takes on the Phoenix power are some of my favorites in this issue.

Marvel did an awesome job taking the story full circle and figuring out a believable way for Hope and the Scarlet Witch to handle the Phoenix power and undo the damage from the events leading up to the fight between the Avengers and the X-Men.

Happy Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week.

Dakster Sullivan –Avengers vs. X-Men Round 11
*MAJOR Spoiler Alert*

The battle rages on as the Avengers vs. X-Men mini series comes down to its last issues. Marvel made it known a few weeks ago, that a character with a strong influence on the X-Men and Avengers world would perish in the fight. I’m sorry to say, that character’s pages were numbered in this issue. Continue reading GeekMom: Comic Book Corner — September 19th, 2012

Happy Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week. This week, we have a some reviews as well as a cry for help from one of our writers.

Corrina Lawson – What I’m Reading This Week

Every now and then, a comic blows me away. It happened this week with the Before Watchmen series, Silk Spectre, by Darwyn Cooke and Amanda Conner. I know, it’s a Before Watchmen comic and, yes, I’m aware of the controversy surrounding DC perhaps “cashing in” on a classic property like Watchmen, especially with Alan Moore, the original writer, so opposed. But I picked up Silk Spectre #2 and #3 together because I tend to adore anything Cooke writes.

When I say blown away, that’s exactly right. This is a trippy comic. It’s the story of Laurie, the young Silk Spectre, and how she ran away to San Francisco to build a new life in the era of free love. She’s in love, she’s trying to do the right thing, and the line between the right and wrong thing is particularly thin, especially with drugs. The book makes no statement about drugs overall being good or bad, only that same people use them to manipulate others. And Laurie doesn’t like that and kicks, well, a little more than butt. (This is a comic for mature readers.)

Laurie’s very absentee father likes her new scene even less, leading to a heartbreaking ending for such an optimistic character.

Anything I say about the art would be underselling it. It’s lush, gorgeous, and psychedelic, full of colors and life, and the facial expressions are absolutely perfect. I have to give Paul Mounts a shout-out for the colors as well. I was leery about someone else drawing Cooke’s scripts but this is a winning team.

Smallville #5 is the comic that caused all the controversy because it originally included Stephanie Brown as Nightwing instead of Barbara Gordon and DC’s higher ups demanded a change because, hmm.., basically because they don’t like Steph. Despite the change of name, Nightwing still sounds like Steph to me but that’s okay. Batman’s first appearance in the Smallville universe is terrific, and gives him a very personal reason to head to Metropolis. I love how writer Bryan Q. Miller is expanding the Smallville mythos and hope this comic lasts a long.

The first to the “Zero” origin issues I picked up this month from DC wasEarth 2;. The series itself is moving rather slowly so I wondered if this tale would be setup or not. It introduces the villain sure to show up in the present day, one Ozymandias–wait, er, Terry Sloane, who decides the ends justify the means. Interesting but not essential.

Dakster Sullivan – Booster Gold: New 52 Pick up #1

Booster Gold #1 New 52 Pick up / Image: DC Comics

I was first introduced to Booster Gold in the Justice League Unlimited on cartoon network. I wasn’t that thrilled with the character’s attitude towards being a hero. He seemed to want it more for the glory and sponsorships than honestly wanting to help others. When I saw that DC had made him the leader of the New 52 Justice League International team, I thought, “What the heck? Him?” After I got suckered into reading the series because of Batman’s appearance, I started to actually like the character.

Booster seemed to grow as a leader and a hero in Justice League International and I’m very sorry to see the series end. I’m hoping that I get to see more of him in either his own series (hint…hint…DC) or in another team series. I don’t think he would fit on the new 52 Justice League, but I’m sure there is a team out there for him.

I picked up Booster Gold #1, 52 pick up issue this week and I have to say…HELP! I’m lost!! The first few pages of the issue show him standing on a roof top with the Justice League, but among the members are Vixen and Arrow. Huh?? Don’t even get me started on Booster Gold #0 which really threw me off. I understand that Booster is a time jumper, but this is really confusing me.

I did some reading online and found out that issue #0 is a crossover from the Zero Hour timeline, which (according to my sources) happened in 1994. I’ve never read this series, so I guess I know what I’m picking up on Amazon next week. I’m still really confused on the 52 pick up #1 though.

So instead of me writing up a review this week, I have some questions for anyone who can answer them…

First of all, if the New 52 is a reboot, why was Booster standing on top of a roof with a Justice League that is totally different than the one in the current Justice League comic book series?

Second, should I be reading something else first to understand all of this?

This is a cry for help from a comic book newbie and I welcome all the help I can get.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 continues in this second volume “Library Edition” from Dark Horse Comics. The volume collects issues #11-20 and include appearances by the season’s Big Bad, Twilight, as well as series favorites Dracula and Riley Finn. (Someone out there liked Riley, right? Right?)

The comic continues to capture the personality and humor of the Scooby Gang from the series, while also taking them new places that the constraints of a television show budget could never have gone. Buffy’s voyage into the future world of Fray, Dawn’s transformations, and Willow’s use of advanced magic are all fascinating tidbits that would have had difficulties if attempted in the series.

My favorite issue in the collection is a small side story where a veteran Buffy finds herself back in the world of the first season at Sunnydale High School. She gleefully gives her mom a hug and heads off to school feeling like the weight of the world is finally off her shoulders, even if for just a short time. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 Volume 2 is a reminder of just how far these characters have come and how lucky we’ve been to come along for the ride all these years.

A promotional copy of this hardcover edition was provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Kay Moore – Catwoman (2002 – 2008) #10

Catwoman #10 / Image: DC Comics

Issue 10 of Catwoman (2002-2008) is eye-catching–the color palette is distinct and unusual. All the panels have a screen of some color over them, setting a mood and unifying each series of panels by color, according to place or time. It’s a very distinct sensation when reading digitally; I am curious about the perception when reading in print. If you read Catwoman (2002-2008) on paper, let me know in the comments what you think about these muted tones over all the panels.

When I first read this story, I got the feel of a standalone little vignette from Selina’s life, but upon more careful reading it seems this more likely is setting up the next story arc. There is some tie-in with the events from issue 9, and when Selina visits Wayne Manor to ask Bruce for his assistance with a construction project (and coincidentally reveal that she is actually still alive), their by-play is comfortable to the point that she beans him with a muffin.

The story opens with a reminiscence about a girl who had no luck combined with poor judgment… the girl voted most likely to die by bad taste in men. It turns into a flashback that reveals this is Rebecca, Selina’s authority-disdaining schoolgirl friend, who eventually ends up going for a joy ride in a “borrowed” car that involves her in a capital conviction. Six years later, in the current time, Selina attends her appeal. The rest of the story tells about the appeal and its consequences and why Selina feels so strongly about Rebecca after so many years.

I like the character portrayal in this issue; there isn’t much “put character in this slot” like in some comics that take a shortcut to complete a story. This issue shows Catwoman’s dark/light good/bad chaotic/lawful sides effectively and packs a lot of story into one issue’s pages (unlike my complaint last week about too little story for the number of pages). I was a little uncomfortable upon first reading this issue, but now I feel more experimental about it, and keep poking around the colors. The palette and color usage aren’t something I’d ever come up with or gravitate toward, but I am afraid they are like an earwig: one of those songs that won’t leave your head. Do I have an eyewig???

Rebecca Angel – Otomen By Aya Kanno
Oh, silly, silly shojo manga. Silly, but entertaining. My kids and I thought the premise of this one was intriguing: Asuka Masamune is a boy who reads girly comics, creates artistic and delicious sushi, and sews cute stuffed animals. But because he was taught early on that he had to be “macho,” he has embraced the jock lifestyle (number one in dojo) in public to hide his secret feminine hobbies.

Asuka has girls sighing over him everywhere he goes, but he believes if he ever shows his true self, girls won’t like him. So of course, he falls for a girl who doesn’t have a feminine bone in her body, and her father puts macho in his matcha…meanwhile a writer “friend” of his is really using him as fodder for his story.

The art is typical, the writing okay, the kids and I thought the story was fun. This is a comic to escape that heavy non-fiction book you are trying to get through.

Happy Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week.

Dakster Sullivan – Superman Family Adventures #4

I love this series! Not only does my son love it, but I enjoy reading it as well on my soda breaks at work.In issue #4, we get to see some monkey business as Super Pets, Beppo, swings in to save the day when a circus monkey swallows some red kryptonite. While the story was funny as always, the main plot is not what my mind has been thinking about the past few days. One panel in particular has me wondering…has Lois figured out that Clark is Superman? More than one of the panels seemed to suggest that she might know and just allows Clark to think she doesn’t.

Another thing that has me curious, is the character featured in the final panel in the story. I can’t wait to see where this character goes and what trouble he is going to make for Superman.

The creators, Art Baltazar and Franco do a great job at keeping their readers attention with funny and interesting story lines. Of all the kid friendly titles out there, this one is at the top of my recommended reading list.

Superman Family Adventures is available monthly on Comixology and through your local comic book retailer.

This series is my daughter’s first “collection,” and it’s a great series to start with for any kid who loves the films. Each issue follows the adventures of Woody and the gang before the events of Toy Story 3, so we see them all in Andy’s room and beyond, always finding a way to get themselves into mischief.

The first issue shows the toys learning to get along with Buster, Andy’s puppy. This is the least entertaining of all the stories, but it’s still fun to see how Buster and Woody became pals. Toy Story #2, “A Scary Night,” gives my daughter the giggles every single time we read it together. As the toys swap scary stories, their personalities from the films really come through the pages. The next two issues, “To The Attic” and “Water Rescue,” are also fun reads and sure to delight kids who love to follow the adventures of Buzz and Woody.

I absolutely recommend the Toy Story comic book mini-series to any kid looking to start their first collection, or just wants a good story to read before bedtime.

Kay Moore – Catwoman (2002 – 2008) #9

Catwoman #9 / Image: DC Comics

Issue 9 of Catwoman (2002-2008) finally wraps up the story arc of exploited kids, drugs, bad cops and Holly in trouble. I wish I didn’t have to say “finally” but this could all have been concluded an issue or more earlier… the pacing seems off, but maybe that is part of the serial comic experience, where each and every issue starts mellow and builds to some sort of climax or cliff-hanger, and a chunk of story has to fill 24 pages, period.

This one opens with three pages of prologue that are close to throw-aways, as Detective Allen, investigating police corruption, digs around in the case archives. Maybe this is to set the stage as a kind of police procedural, but if nothing else it has the effect of e-a-s-i-n-g us into the story. After that, the pace zips up as Catwoman accosts Detective Allen violently on his way to a crime scene so she can bring him in on her sting of the crooked cops and those cops perform a series of hands-on “interviews” to find out who broke up their transaction at the end of issue #8.

When Catwoman, Slam Bradley and Detective Allen run the sting to catch them, the baddies turn on each other and on our heroes and mayhem gets on everything. In the end, Catwoman and a newly revealed Big Bad are both frustrated with the state of affairs but Holly is safely back with her honey.

Issue four of the Star Trek TNG/Doctor Who crossover Assimilation2 begins to move us further away from backstory and deeper into the action we’ve been hoping for. There’s a big plot twist that I certainly didn’t see coming and with Guinan’s help, Captain Picard finally begins to trust the mysterious stranger and his companions who have appeared on board the Enterprise. Things are beginning to make some sense and we’re starting to get an idea of what might be going on; however a potentially disastrous decision might threaten to break the fragile new relationship between the two crews.

Happy Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week.

Dakster Sullivan – Avengers vs. X-Men #10: Infinite

Tony has been hard at work developing a “mad thinker” device to help aid the Avengers in their mission to defeat the Phoenix. The Scarlet Witch plays an important role in this issue, since it’s her powers that the shiny hat requires to work. Once she agreed to allow her innermost thoughts to be projected for Tony and Beast to see, the room was lit up with probabilities and battle scenarios for the inevitable face off between the Avengers and the X-Men.

After all the scenarios are played out and all seems lost, Scarlet Witch sees Hope standing in the doorway and everything changes. Suddenly, Tony realizes that he forgot to factor one member of the team in to the equation. The young teenage girl the entire team has been working hard to protect; Hope. This realization seems to give the billionaire something he hasn’t had in a while, hope for the future of the world and the end of the Phoenix power.

This issue happens (time wise) right before Avengers Vs. X-Men Round 10. If you haven’t already picked it up, I highly recommend it. Pre-orders have already startedon Amazon for the graphic novel, due out in November.

Infinite comics are a digital only series that is released occasionally alongside the Avengers Vs. X-Men mini-series. You can purchase them through the Marvel app or Comixology.

A graphic novel based on a pretend novel written by a pretend author — why not? I am a big fan of ABC’s Castle, but I have to admit that the Marvel graphic novel tie-in didn’t interest me until I saw that Kelly Sue DeConnick’s name on the cover. Since I’m a new fan of the Captain Marvel series also penned by Kelly Sue DeConnick, this week I decided to give Richard Castle’s Deadly Storma chance.

Derrick Storm / Image: Marvel Comics

Deadly Storm is an adaptation of the first Derrick Storm novel written by Richard Castle, played by Nathan Fillion in the television series. The title character bears a resemblance to Fillion, which helped me keep his voice in mind as I read. Derrick Storm is a private detective who finds himself in over his head on his latest case, where he crosses paths with the CIA and the beautiful agent Clara Strike. The story itself starts off strong, infused with mystery, humor, and action, much like Castle. The second half shifted from Storm’s musings to mostly action, which was still fun to read, but not quite as engaging as the first half of the novel.

While I enjoyed Deadly Storm overall, I can only really recommend it to diehard Castle fans who are looking to complete their tie-in collection.

Kay Moore- Catwoman (2002-2008) #8

Catwoman Issue #8 / Image: Comixology

Last week I pedicted that this issue would bring the climax of this Holly, Selina, and the criminals in the East End story arc, but now… tune in next week, folks! This week, issue 8 of Catwoman (2002-2008) brought a bigger conspiracy with someone pushing the buttons and presumably supplying the money to consolidate the crime in the East End, Selina’s home turf. The cops are circulating posters to try and find Holly while Catwoman and Slam are setting up a sting to capture the behind-the-scene nogoodniks.

Once again, Slam and Selina show ease around each other. When Catwoman visits one of her old crooked pals, a pawnbroker and fence, he has to adjust to her new, benevolent ways. I liked seeing her interact with a new cast member, but it also highlights the occasions when she is tumbling around between the rooftops or climbing dizzying heights while expounding on a moral, ethical, or personal dilemma. Sometimes it is just served up a little too neatly.

This issue also felt more loosely paced and paneled… not always a bad thing, but I was all revved up for a climax and instead found something more like the preparatory moments that precede a huge effort. I hope the payoff next issue deserves the long journey!

Nicole Boose – My Week in Comics

I’m a freelancer in the comics industry and mom to a 4-year-old daughter. Here’s a bit about my week:

Art by Max Peralta, age 13. Used with permission.

Last week was the conclusion of my comic class for teenagers, which I co-taught with artist Len Peralta. In the second half of the course, we discussed inking, coloring and lettering. For the final session, the students had a chance to write and draw an original one-page scene—it was cool to see how our discussions about visual storytelling came into play in their decisions on how to stage their scenes. For me, the best part of teaching the class was when I heard one of the students remark “that was fun” on his way out!

With the class’ small size and informal tone, Len and I were able to experiment with what to cover and how to cover it. It’s given me plenty of ideas about how to fine-tune lessons for future comic-teaching efforts.

Check out one of the student’s work! (see picture to the right)

Thanks to GeekMom’s call to participate in Women Read Comics in Public Day, my daughter and I brought some comics along to a family outing in a park over the weekend. As it happened, a little boy spotted us, and expressed an interest in our comics—so we ended up sending him home with a copy of Mini Marvels. As we chatted with him and his grandparents, his grandmother shared some of her own fond comic-reading memories—apparently when she was a kid, her family kept their comics collected in a stack on the bathroom radiator. Now that’s accessibility.

The past week also marked the release of the fourth and final issue of the SUPERCROOKS comic miniseries that I edited. Don’t show it to your young kids, but I hope any mature readers here who read the series had as much fun reading it as the creative team had making it. We just finished getting the collected hardcover edition ready for print, with beautifully-executed book design by Spring Hoteling. Anyone so inclined can find it on sale in October.

Happy Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week.

Dakster Sullivan – Avengers vs. X-Men Round 9

After sitting on the sidelines for most of the mini-series, Spider-Man takes center stage in Round 9, both physically and emotionally. Early in the issue, Spider-Man has the chance to explain to Hope, the mutant Messiah, what being an Avenger is all about. Later, Spider-Man is given the chance to act on his own advice and swings into action to save the day.

Of all the rounds so far, this is my favorite! Spidey brings a different attitude to the Avengers with a less-intense and fun loving way of looking at things, with a side of dark humor. The heart to heart moment he shares with Hope is my favorite moment in the mini-series so far.

He explains to Hope that each member of the team eventually gets their moment to shine, she just needs to wait for her time to come. Later, he realizes the truth of his own words when the team goes into the mountains to rescue their teammates that are being held captive by Colossus and Magik. Putting his life on the line, Spider-Man stays back to hold off the Phoenix while the rest of the team get their injured teammates to K’un-L’un. In his fight against the Phoenix, we get to see Spidey at his best.

During the fight, I wasn’t in fear for Spidey’s life because he is a major character and I don’t think Marvel would kill him off. I was touched by the concern that the rest of the team showed when they all realized that Spidey didn’t make it back out with them and went back to save their friend.

As far as the Phoenix Four, they are all starting to feel the strain that the new level of power is putting them on. Each one is fighting a darkness within themselves and only a couple of them realize it. I have some hope for Colossus, but I’m afraid Emma and Magik have lost themselves in the darkness of the Phoenix power. Cyclops has been losing his mind progressively since the Phoenix arrived, so I didn’t see any change in him yet.

Of all the issues so far, this one is the least disappointing of them all.

Each issue of Avengers vs. X-Men comes with a free digital issue. Check out your local comic book store for more information.

Are you readingAvengers vs. X-Men and have something to say? Leave me a comment. I’d love to read your input on the series.

Kelly Knox – Arrow #1: Special Edition

Arrow Issue #1 / Image: Copyright DC Comics

This week I stumbled upon Arrow #1: Special Edition in the DC Comics app. It’s a tie-in story obviously created to promote the new Arrow series coming to the CW this fall. I’m already a fan of Green Arrow — including his incarnation in Smallville — so I was interested to see what the new television series might bring. (Plus, the issue is free!)

The first thing I noticed is that the setting is Starling City, not Star City as it’s been in the comics. I assume either it will later become Star City, or perhaps that will serve as a nickname, but it’s a noteworthy change. The story introduces Oliver Queen, your run-of-the-mill billionaire playboy with no cares in the world, until Something Happens that makes him change his ways and become a crime-fighting vigilante.

Happy Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week.

Dakster Sullivan – Green Lantern: New Guardians #11In this month’s issue, our heroes are ticked off and ready to kick some tail. After coming to their own conclusion that Larfleeze stole the lantern rings, they headed back to The Hall of Orange Lanterns to deal with him. The battle that ensues is intense, but really easy to follow. Without spoiling too much, we lose a member of the team who I have to admit has grown on me.

Happy Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week.

Dakster Sullivan – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 2: Enemies Old, Enemies NewTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 2: Enemies Old, Enemies New is the second volume of the newest TMNT series. Since the only thing I know about their history is what I’ve seen in the cartoon series, I’ve been a little shocked at the story so far.

I’m a child of 1985. With that being said, I’ve grown up thinking that the turtles became the TMNT from the ooze and being at the right place at the right time. This series is telling a very different tale. I don’t want to spoil to much, but let’s just say even they are having a hard time believing Master Splinter on this one.

The only villain from the cartoon series I have met so far and recognize is Krang. It appears there is something going on with him and Baxter, but at the risk of spoiling anything for you, I’ll skip what it is.

Casey and April are starting to get a friendship going at school. Casey is teaching April self-defense in exchange for her tutoring him in a few of his classes. I think they are going to make a great team in the upcoming issues. It will be interesting to see if she uses any of her new fighting skills to help out the TMNT.

Due to a little violence in the beginning that might be to graphic for younger readers, I would recommend this title for anyone aged ten and up.

Rebecca Angel – Batman: Earth OneBatman: Earth One is a reboot of the Batman comic (yes, we’re never tired of origin stories!). Apparently, making something more “modern” and “real” means taking all the fun out of it. The characters are all there, but all the color has been sucked out of them. Gotham was always dark, but could anyone make a more horrible city than this?

Oh wait, the big-breasted women in the party ogling Bruce Wayne had colorful dresses, excuse me.

Happy Comic Release Day! Welcome to another installment of GeekMom Comic Book Corner, where we recap our adventures in comics for the week.

Dakster Sullivan – Avengers Vs. X-Men Round 6

This past week I got my Avengers vs. X-Men fix. In round six of the twelve round series, we see what’s been happening since the Phoenix Five has taken control of things. Professor Xavier dropped by Pax Utopia to have a talk with Cyclops. I could feel his concern for Scott and the rest of his X-Men.

During the conversation we learn that Cyclops has convinced himself that he is making the world exactly the way Professor X always wanted. Professor X on the other hand, thinks the Phoenix Five is cheating and not allowing nature to take its course. I’m going to have to side with Professor X on this one. Mankind might go backwards sometimes, but we always find a way to move forward again. What the Phoenix Five is doing is not allowing mankind the opportunity to move forward at a natural pace.

We also see what’s happened to Hope since being taken by the Phoenix Five. Even though she’s been told she’s not a prisoner on Pax Utopia, she feels such a strong connection with the Phoenix that she can’t bring herself to leave. We later learn that although Cyclops says she is free to leave, when she finally decides to, he goes back on his word and tries to keep her on Utopia.

Maybe its just me, but it looks like the artists can’t make up their mind how old Hope is. In one issue she looks sixteen. In this issue, there are times she looks like she’s around ten years old. I can understand with all the stress she is under that she might start to look different in each issue, but the stress should be making her look older, not younger.

It’s no surprise to me that Scarlet Witch returned to help Hope. With everything she has been through, I could see her reaching out to help Hope. I’m curious to see how her involvement will change the tides of the fight.

Before this whole thing started, more than half of those polled said they would be on the side of the Avengers. With the latest development in how the Phoenix Five are changing it to be a Utopia for all man–kind, many readers are starting to switch sides.

I’m still on the side of the Avengers. The way the Phoenix Five is fixing the world is against nature and if the Phoenix ever leaves, mankind will slip back into its old habits.

I picked up the first issue of this series not because I’m a Smallville fan but because I like Bryan Q. Miller’s writing and I enjoy reading Lois and Clark together. Since they’re not romantically involved anymore in the regular DC universe, this is the only place I can go. I liked the first issue enough to buy #2 and now I’m hooked.

This issue concentrates on Lex Luthor, filling in details from the last season of the show that I’d missed and setting up the mystery of whether the sister he apparently murdered is really dead and haunting him because he killed her or whether he’s suffering from some mental ailment due to the incident in which he lost his memory. The issue concludes by showing just how far Lex is willing to go to get information on Superman and has a timely reference to a private space vehicle.

For those unable to wait for print, digital issues are available for 99 cents each at Comixology.

Dakster Sullivan – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 Change is ConstantA few weeks ago, I saw Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 at my local comic book shop. Ever since, I’ve been looking at my Comixology app almost daily to see if a digital version has become available. One day, I finally saw them sitting on Comixology’s front page! Since TMNT were some of my favorite characters as a kid, I was eager to see what this story was about.

From the beginning, I could tell the origin of my favorite turtles was going to change. One of the things that caught me off guard though, was their masks. Instead of being a different color for each turtle, it looked like there were four Raphael’s running around. I couldn’t tell them apart. Since this is only the beginning of their lives together, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that will change in time.

The Turtles were not the only ones who had changes made to their origin. April O’Neal and Casey Jones both had their stories altered a little. In this storyline, April is lab assistant where the turtles were kept. Casey lives with his drunken dad who beats him up all the time. Instead of being adults, both April and Casey are in college.

The main villain is not Shredder, but instead a cat named Old Hob, who was also transformed by the same mutagen that brought The Turtles to their current state. With revenge on the mind, Hob viciously attacks The Turtles every chance he gets.

It was nice to see that Master Splinter is just how I remember him and that each of the turtles managed to retain their individual personalities. Leo is still the leader, Mikey is still the eater and fun-loving one, Donatello is the smart one and Raphael has that bad attitude that makes you love him even more. By the end of the issue, I was cheering for more. With the right amount of action and heart, this series has been added to my humble list of comic book subscriptions.

You can check out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at your local comic book shop, Comixology or the iOS exclusive Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comics App.

I received a review copy of this title. Even though I received this benefit, I always give an opinion that is 100% my own.

Rebecca Angel – Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

Legends of Zita the Spacegirl / Image: Amazon

Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, follows the continuing adventures of Zita: a human girl who, while trying to save her friend, saves a planet in another galaxy. In this book, Zita is sick of being called a hero, and just wants to have some fun again. It seems too good to be true when a robot that looks like her takes her place for a day. It is too good, the robot takes over her life, leaving Zita with only Pizzicato, her faithful mouse steed, to help her get back to her ship. Along the way, they meet new friends, have exciting adventures, and find out what a true hero means.

What made me fall in love with Zita the first time is Ben Hatke’s imagination with alien creatures. Every chapter has little, odd things with strong personalities in the corners of the pages. Although Zita is the main character, these side-liners make the book stand out. My kids and I reread the books because we enjoy finding all the amusing, visual “extras.” In this book, we also get a glimpse of Piper’s previous life (and lost-love.)

I heartily recommend Legends of Zita the Spacegirl. This is a story for ages 7 and up (I base this on my six year old niece who is scared of almost everything.) I received this copy free for review purposes.